SEASIDE LETTERS - Denise Hunter - Free Book

I'm happy to welcome Denise Hunter back to my blog. So, Denise, why do you write the kind of books you do?


I write romantic fiction, and I guess that means I'm a romantic at heart. I always tell new writers to write in the genre they prefer to read and for me, that's a good love story.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

That would have to be a three-way tie between the births of my sons. There's nothing like holding that new life in your hands and knowing it's a blessing straight from God.

I know. I wondered how He knew He could trust me with their lives. How has being published changed your life?

Before I discovered writing, I lacked direction and passion in my life. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, never mind that I was twenty-something. Being published ten years ago (Barbour Publishing) was validation for me that I was headed the right direction. As the contracts for new books kept trickling in, I began to realize God was totally in charge of this writing thing, and he wanted me to make a career of it. Along the way, I've learned to depend on Him for my stories, for my daily writing, and for the next contract. I've learned to balance home, and kids, and writing--well, I should say I'm learning this one. I feel so blessed to do the thing I love, with a wonderful team (Thomas Nelson), for special people--my readers.

What are you reading right now?

The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne and Believing God by Beth Moore.

What is your current work in progress?

I'm working on love story set on a Montana ranch which will likely be the first of a 3-book series.

Sounds wonderful. What would be your dream vacation?

I love to travel! The past several years we've taken family trips all over the United States. I think I'd like to do a European cruise. I've always wanted to see New Zealand and Australia too, so it's a toss-up.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I always try and determine where my readers might like to spend a few hours, because that's essentially what they're doing when they read a novel. Once I have the setting down, I begin to think about what kind of characters might live there and what kinds of problems they might have. I always go to the place where the novel is set. I went to Nantucket to research my Nantucket series and fell in love with the island. I've been there in my imagination for three years. Ahhhhh . . . .

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

It always surprises people, but I play the drums for my church's worship team. I taught myself to play 6 years ago and have been happily banging away ever since. I also enjoy baking sweets, mainly because I like to eat the finished product.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Fear is my biggest obstacle. Creative jobs are so much different than non-creative jobs. You have to do it, yet it's brand new each day, and you have to pull every bit of it from some mysterious place in your brain. The fear is: what if it doesn't happen today (or tomorrow and every day after that???) You'd think that fear would go away after a dozen or so books, but no, there it is again.

I recognize that feeling. I've shared it, too. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

1. Read a lot of books on writing. You can learn a lot from other writers. My favorites are Stein on Writing by Sol Stein and The Breakout Novel by Donald Maas.
2. Write the book you want to read.
3. Finish your story, submit it, then start your next one. You learn the craft of writing by doing it.

Tell us about the featured book?

Seaside Letters is the 3rd book in my Nantucket series--though it's a stand-alone in that there are no overlapping characters. Here's a blurb:

Sabrina Kincaid didn't intend to fall for Nantucket native Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning-a man tied to a past she deeply regrets. But she has. And she's fallen hard.

But she's kept this a secret from her handsome customer. And now Tucker wants to hire Sabrina to help locate his friend "Sweetpea"-the mysterious woman he's falling in love with online. Sabrina is not inclined to help, but if Tucker hires someone else, it could spell disaster. Because if someone else sifted through the emails and figured out the truth-then Tucker would discover that the person he's trying to find is . . . her.

Sounds intriguing. Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

Sabrina Kincaid heard the jingle of the café’s glass door open and glanced at the clock above the workstation. Seven-twelve on the dot.

She grabbed the fresh pot, turned toward the tables crowding the Cobblestone Café, then headed straight to his table—might as well get it over with—table seven, a two-topper near the front.

He would be seated against the bead board wall, facing the kitchen, unfortunately. He would be wearing his blue “Cap’n Tucker’s Water Taxi” cap, a light-colored T-shirt, and a crooked grin. She would offer him coffee, he would accept, then he would spread open the Inquirer and Mirror and take thirty minutes on all twelve articles while she waited on other customers, her bony knees knocking together like bamboo wind chimes.

“Evan,” Gordon called from the kitchen. “Table twelve needs to be bussed.”

Evan’s blond ponytail flipped over his shoulder as he turned and wiped his hands on his stained brown apron. “Right, dude.”

Sabrina stopped a foot from the scarred maple table, avoiding eye contact, looking only at the fat rim of the ivory mug as he slid it toward her.

How many words had they exchanged in the year he’d been coming to the café? One hundred? Two hundred? Couldn’t be much more than that.

As always her expression was free of emotion, though a powerful hurricane brewed inside. It was a skill she’d learned early, perfected well, and if that had earned her the title of Ice Princess, so be it.

“Morning, Sabrina.” Tucker’s deep voice was raspy. And, as usual, he cleared his throat after the greeting.

Was she the first person he spoke to each morning? The thought made her hand tremble. A stream of hot coffee flowed over the cup’s rim and onto Tucker’s thumb. He jerked his hand back.

Idiot! Her first spill in months and it had to be Tucker. And with hot coffee.

I can hardly wait for my book to come, so I can read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is: http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/
I also have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124248046980
And a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/deniseahunter

Thank you, Denise, for spending this time with us.

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